


Sleight of Hand

by shinealightonme



Category: Stargate SG-1, Warehouse 13
Genre: Challenge Response, Community: intoabar, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-08
Updated: 2010-11-08
Packaged: 2017-10-13 03:08:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/132170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinealightonme/pseuds/shinealightonme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a woman sitting at the end of the bar that Vala would have sworn hadn't been there before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleight of Hand

**Author's Note:**

> written for [](http://intoabar.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**intoabar**](http://intoabar.dreamwidth.org/). Originally posted [on LJ](http://shinealightonme.livejournal.com/116956.html).

Vala had scanned the bar the moment they'd walked in, of course. There was nothing that had jumped out at her, nothing that set it apart from the many, many bars she'd seen in her time. Sure, the types of drinks and the local fashion might vary from town to town and planet to planet, but all bars were basically the same where it counted – same people, same atmosphere, same conversations.

Now that Sam had ducked out to the bathroom, Vala took a second, deeper look. She wasn't expecting to find anything, but she was temporarily lacking in someone to watch her back and decided to be cautious. Besides, she was bored.

This time, something did catch her eye. There was a woman sitting at the end of the bar that Vala would have sworn hadn't been there before, except Vala hadn't seen her walking by, either.

The woman's mysterious materialization would have been enough to catch her attention by itself, but she also just looked out of place. She was wearing a suit and a grim expression, as though she hadn't relaxed in so long she'd forgotten how to.

In Vala's world, people like that were really just asking to be messed with.

"Is anyone sitting here?" she asked, plopping down in the seat next to the woman without waiting for an answer.

"I believe you are, now."

"Hm, so I am!" Vala spun around a bit in the seat, to get comfortable. "Just until your friend comes along. I assume you're waiting for someone?"

The woman just looked at her.

"Or perhaps you're hoping to meet someone here?"

The woman's expression didn't change.

"Bartender!" Vala had long ago mastered the art of getting bartenders' attention. "Get a drink for my friend here, something silly and colorful. With an umbrella or two."

"That isn't necessary," the woman responded after the bartender had left. "I am managing quite well on my own."

"Oh, but little umbrellas make better everything that can be made better. And alcohol is for everything else."

"And what makes you think that I need things to be made better?"

"Well, you're sitting alone in a bar not talking to anyone, which really just means one thing in this town." Vala gestured at the bar and its many enlisted patrons. "Funny, though, you don't look familiar. Some kind of Washington official?"

"No."

The bartender returned, not with a frilly cocktail, but with a cup of hot tea. He looked vaguely puzzled as he put it down, but floated back away without further incident.

"I'm tempted to say you're lying, but no one from Washington can lie so succinctly."

The woman actually smiled at that, if one considered the tiny twitch of her lips a smile. Vala did, anyway.

"See, now, we're making progress," Vala said, smiling widely and patting the woman's shoulder.

A familiar chill ran through her blood.

Naquadah.

Vala kept smile, trying not to give anything away, while her mind raced, wondering who this woman was, where she'd come into contact with naquadah, whether she was a threat, how Vala could neutralize her if she were, when Sam would come back from the bathroom...

If the woman noticed a change, she had an even better poker face than Vala did. "Well, enough for one night. Isn't that your friend? You shouldn't keep her waiting."

Vala turned for a split second to confirm that it was Sam, and to wave her over, before asking how the woman had known they were together. "You've got a good eye, haven't you?"

But the woman was gone. Vala looked every which was, but there was no sight of her.

"What's up?" Sam asked, concern growing on her face as she took in Vala's state.

"She couldn't have gone, she was here a second ago!"

"Who was?"

"Wish I knew," Vala muttered, and dashed out the front door. There was no sign of the mystery woman out there, either.

"Something you want to share, Vala?" Sam asked, following her outside.

"I can't believe she ran out on me."

"Well, she left a note."

"She what?" Vala turned back around to Sam and saw her holding a coaster.

"It was on the bar right beside you," Sam shrugged. "You didn't notice?"

"I'm missing a lot of things, today."

The coaster read, simply:

 _I trust you will pick up my tab, Miss Mal Doran._   



End file.
